Converting helical springs to straight bars



(N0 Model.)

- M; D. LOOMIS.

CONVERTING HELIUAL SPRINGS T0 STRAIGHT BARS.

' No. 437,703. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES DEVITT LOOMIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONVERTING HELICAL SPRINGS TO STRAIGHT BARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,703, dated October 7', 1890.

Application filed July 18, 1890. Serial No. 359,180. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, Moses Dnwrrr Looivns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of IVayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Reducing Spiral or Helical Springs to Bar Form; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and Fig. 4 an end elevation, of avariation of the invention, in which, instead of the jaws, there are engaging rolls, which stand stationary and pull the bar through them by the rotation of the rolls.

This invention is designed to produce a ma chine for the purpose of restoring or reducing a spirally or helically wound metal spring to its original bar form, and is designed for use more particularly in connection with heavy springs of this character, such as are used in cars and the like. It is well known that springs of this character after a certain amount of use become set and lose their elasticity or resiliency, which should enable them to return to their normal condition after being compressed, and when the spring has become thus set it loses its value, and has usually been thrown into the scrap-heap, owing to the difficulty of unwinding the same and reducing it to the form of a bar. My machine is there fore designed to accomplish this latter object, and so utilize the bar for the purposes to which a bar of this character may be applied, or enable it to be again rewound and retempered in the construction of a new spring.

In carrying out my invention, A represents a suitable bed, and B is a suitable set of jaws. These jaws are provided with means B, whereby they may be firmly engaged with one end of the spring to be straightened. These jaws are connected with a rack-bar B which rests upon suitable guides 11, and is adapted to be operated by a pinion B with which the rack-bar meshes. A crank 13 serves to operate the pinion, or the latter may be in any suitable way connected with power for a like purpose.

0 represents a mandrel resting in a suitable support 0. This mandrel may be in the nature of a plain bolt or stationary stem; butI prefer it to be in the form of a roller-as, for instance, a piece of tubing sustained upon and adapted to rotate about a bolt. Such supporting-bolt is shown at c.

The operation of my device will now be un derstood. A spirally or helically wound spring to be straightened out is heated in a furnace, and is then strung upon the mandrel C, as shown at D. One end of this spring is engaged in the jaws B. Then by turning the pinion B either by hand-power or by machinery, the rack-bar B and with it the jaws B are thrust outward from the mandrel 0, thus stripping the metal oit from the mandrel and reducing it to the form of a straight or comparatively straight bar, from which condition it can be reworked into any form or be rewound into the form of a new spring.

This invention admits of considerable variation, since it is manifestly only necessary that the metal shall be gripped and pulled off from the mandrel. Thus, for instance, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, rollers F might be employed, which will seize the end of the spring, and instead of separating from the mandrel to pull the bar therefrom these rollers by their rotation will draw the bar through them and off from the mandrel, thus serving simultaneously to strip the bar and straighten it. In order that the bar may be readily engaged with the rollers, the support 0 for the mandrel may be given a sliding movement toward and from the rollers, whereby the end of the spring may be inserted between the rollers until the rollers engage it. This sliding movement is indicated by the arrow, there being play allowed in the bed-piece at c for this purpose.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to any particular arrangement of mandrel or support, nor to any particular means for grasping and pulling the coiled rod from the mandrel or support, and any kind of mechanism may be employed for causing the jaws to move away from the mandrel where such movement is required, that shown in the drawings-i. a, a rack-bar actuated by IOG whereby the rod is stripped therefrom, substantially as described.

2. Mechanism for straightening out a spirally or helically coiled metallic spring into the form of a straight bar, the same consisting of a mandrel adapted to receive and supzo port the spring, means adapted to grasp one end of the rod, and means for causing said grasping device to move away from the mandrel, substantially as described.

3. Mechanism for straightening out a spirally or helically wound metallic spring into the form of a straight bar, the same consisting of a mandrel adapted to receive and support the spring, a grasping device adapted to seize one end of the spring, said grasping de- 1 vice engaged with a rack-bar, and a pinion meshed with said bar and adapted to move the jaws from the mandrel, whereby the metal of the spring is stripped therefrom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

MOSES DEWITT L OOMIS, Witnesses:

MARION A. REEVE, W. H. CHAMBERLIN. 

